Haunted and Hunted
by crowskisses
Summary: The gang's first Halloween at college, of course it doesn't go as expected. A tale of what it means to be friends on the scariest night of the year. "I Love College" universe and contained college issues and themes. A tale of warning.


Summary: The gang's first Halloween at college, of course it doesn't go as expected. A tale of what it means to be friends on the scariest night of the year. "I Love College" universe.

Rating: T

A/N: Written last year, but not posted before last Halloween, doesn't take into account any of the Hunters trilogy. This will be a treat for 70's and 80's babies :) Ending needs a rewrite. This is a warning story, but as always humorous.

** In this situation, in real life, please do, do take the person to the hospital. Crowskisses wishes somebody had taken her when this happened, though all was well :)

**Haunted and Hunted**

"Gather around everyone!" Elena called, ushering everyone into the living room the weekend before Halloween. They all obeyed, shuffling in from various parts of the house. Bonnie flopped herself onto the couch next to Meredith, jostling the brunette's cereal bowl.

Elena stayed standing, surveying her motley lot. "Ok! Halloween is next weekend and I think its time to talk about costumes. We'll all be going to the football team's early 90's party, right?"

Bonnie shifted uncomfortably in her seat, she was _supposed _to have a date. Elena eyed her, "Bonnie?"

"Well...I'm supposed to see Ian that night." She knew she was blushing, but she kept her eyes on Elena's face, not looking at the boys.

"Bonnie!"

"What? I didn't think we would all be doing anything after how last Halloween turned out." She jutted out her chin, remembering the terrible Halloween of their senior year. She still had nightmares about finding Tanner's body.

Matt cut in subdued, "He'll be at the party, Bonnie. He's on the team."

Elena nodded, "Then it's settled. Now, Matt tells me they're having a group costume contest. I say we enter and we win it, we really could use the tv they're giving away as a prize."

Matt groaned and Meredith gave an inaudible sigh, "Elena, its not high school anymore."

"I know that! I just really want us all to have a fun night, we need it." She turned her lapis lazuli eyes in turn, eyes none of them could deny no matter how wild the plan was. She held each gaze in turn, moving to the next person as their will gave away.

Matt shook his head, "I can't. I already have my costume, besides I'm on the team. I can't win."

"Who are you going as?" It came from various mouths.

"Link." Matt grinned, he'd been growing his hair out especially for it.

Bonnie smiled at him, "You'll make a great Link."

"You could be my Zelda..." He offered it casually it, with a wink and a grin.

She felt heat rising in her cheeks and looked away with a murmur. "I doubt Ian would like that."

"Yes, let's consider poor Ian's feelings, shall we?" The mocking voice came from the doorway, where Damon was lounging. He'd returned from hunting, "What prompted this little...family meeting?"

"Ian is a tool." Matt offered, ignoring Damon. "Seriously, Bonnie don't bother with him."

Bonnie found herself frowning, it wasn't often Matt interfered with her dating life. And it certainly wasn't like him to lie. Elena was already talking over them to Damon, "We're going to a costume party as a group!"

"I am not participating." The lazy response was immediate.

Bonnie turned around in her seat, "C'mon Damon! It will be fun. We could do Rainbow Brite and the color kids!" Those black eyes bored into hers and she floundered under them, her words coming slower and more hesitant. "You could be Murky or Lurky?"

He was still staring her down, each word casually cruel. "Was I unclear? I don't want to go with you."

She turned away as if she'd been slapped, back to the group. Bonnie rose without looking at anyone and mumbled something about needing to study and fled up the stairs. Matt rose, turning to Damon. "Really, Damon? Did you have to be so damn cruel to Bonnie?"

Damon didn't say anything, just a flicker of response in his black eyes. Matt headed for the stairs, pausing for a moment. " I thought she was the one human you actually cared about."

Then he was gone, taking the steps two at time as a touch of guilt flickered in Damon's dark gaze. Damon took one look at the rest of the group and turned and left by the front door again.

…...

"How do I look?" Elena asked, twirling around the living room.

"Amazing!" Bonnie responded and it was true. They had decided on a Super Mario theme and Elena had chosen to go as Toad. She was sheathed in a tight white column dress that accentuated her slim curves with a hooded red caplet that just reached her elbows. Her caplet and hood had white circles pinned to it, giving her a stunning mushroom cap.

Stefan smiled fondly at her, "Only you could make me want to eat mushrooms."

"Put on your Italian accent!" Elena replied laughing, Stefan was going as Mario. He was in overalls with a red cap and red t-shirt, even sporting a fake mustache.

"How is mi-nay?" Meredith asked from the top of the stairs, her bronx Italian accent echoing around the room.

Stefan cringed at it then tried to cover it up with a smile, "At least you make a hot plumber?"

"That's no way to talk to your brother!" Meredith flew down the stairs in her Luigi outfit, her overalls transformed into a dress.

"No, but I can talk to my Princess Peach that way. Isn't that right, Bonnie?" Bonnie found herself laughing in response, she loved how much Stefan had loosened up over the year. He no longer held himself apart from the teasing.

She gave a twirl of her pale pink dress, knowing she looked the part. Meredith caught her eyes and Bonnie knew some sort of joke was coming. The corner of Meredith's mouth perked up, "Better be careful, Bonnie. Ian might mistake you for a peach and eat you.."

She made a face at her dark friend, "We should get going. I really want to see Matt's costume before the groupies gather round."

There were nods all around and they headed for the house just a street over. Even though it was barely 9:30, their quarterback was already surrounded by fawning girls. It took a few moments for him to disengage and come over. He really looked the part of Link, the outfit only highlighting how in shape he was. Bonnie couldn't stop her exclamation or her trademark giggle. "Wow."

He ducked his head humbly and Bonnie found herself blushing. Meredith intervened, her own voice appreciative. "You should wear tights more often, Matt."

It broke the tension, just like Meredith always did. Matt laughed and gestured at the drinks table, gently catching Bonnie's elbow to steer her in the direction. "A princess needs escorting."

She smiled, flattered, something new fluttering in her chest. She tried to stomp it out, she'd gotten over her girlish crush of Matt months ago and didn't want it coming back. If they hadn't already gotten together it was unlikely they would. But still, she had to admire not only how good looking he was, but how gentle and protective he was of their group. "I wouldn't have minded being your Zelda if I'd known that was your costume."

"Maybe next year." Was that a touch of hope in Matt Honeycutt's voice? Bonnie turned to look at him, to really look, but his head was ducked as he dipped her a cup of punch out of the witches bowl.

"Boo!" It came from right behind her and Bonnie jumped straight up, her heart racing as she slammed back into the ground to the sounds of laughter. She spun, it was just Ian. A head taller than Matt with hair almost as dark as Damon's he'd opted for the modern vampire costume: fangs, black jeans, black t shirt, black leather jacket and blood on his chin.

Bonnie heard Matt trying to suppress a chuckle and turned, finding her own mouth turning up at the corners. She made eye contact with Matt and lost it, giggling uncontrollably, it seemed ridiculous somehow that real vampires were at this party and this boy was dressed like Damon. Ian was not amused, "What is so funny?"

She couldn't formulate an answer, Matt opened his mouth to try but more laughter came out instead. Meredith appeared at Bonnie's elbow, pinching her soundly in the side. "Ian. I thought the theme was 90s?"

"Fright night." It was a snap. The pinch had sobered Bonnie, bringing sharp tears of pain into her eyes.

"Sorry, Ian." She gave him a little hug, "It's just an inside joke in our house."

Matt had been pinched as well and had stopped laughing, though his mouth still twitched. "One of our roommates really gets a kick out of vampire costumes.."

Bonnie swiftly took a sip of her punch to avoid laughing again. Damon would have a field day with this boy. Instead she choked on it, sputtering. Meredith smacked her back hard and she recovered. She finished the rest of her cup to soothe her raw throat. She went to refill it, Matt's hand stilling her. "Slow down, Bonnie. It's strong."

"Thanks for the warning." She gave him a smile as he turned away, something unsettling fluttering at the side of her mind. Mentally she slapped it away with a silent prayer, no visions or horrors tonight.

Matt's blue eyes flicked to Ian and darkened, his brow folding a bit. He turned back to her and Meredith, though Bonnie felt his words were only for her. "Be careful, girls."

Then he was gone, weaving in between Rainbow Brite and a Care bear. Bonnie turned back to Ian, smiling at who she could see making their way towards them. Ian refilled her cup and Bonnie smiled wider as Yoshi tapped on Meredith's shoulder. She turned, already beginning to say, "Not interested."

Then she jumped and was hugging the man in the green dinosaur costume, "Alaric! You came!"

Alaric had a huge grin on his face as he hugged her back, bending to give her a kiss. "Of course."

After a chaste touch of the lips he pulled away, with a grimace that couldn't displace his grin. "Your mustache is itchy."

Meredith pulled out of his arms with a smile and he gave Bonnie a half hug. She introduced him to Ian, but Meredith and Alaric didn't stick around. They went in search of Stefan and Elena to continue saying hello. Bonnie found herself alone with Ian for the first time and she didn't feel how she expected. Instead she felt off, a whisper of discomfort curling in her stomach. If he was aware, he didn't show it. He grabbed her hand with a smile. "Let's go through the haunted house."

…...

Bonnie looked around the crowded room and felt hot tears sting her eyes. She was all alone and she felt wrong, overheated. Ian was somewhere here, off talking to some scarcely clad girl and Meredith was curled up in the corner with Alaric. She scanned the room again, feeling it begin to lurch terribly. There was a Link being held upside down on the keg and another Link talking to a few girls. She started to push her way through the crowd, the world moving slowly around her. What was she doing at this party? She should be somewhere celebrating Halloween like the druids did with nature and silence, not standing alone like some sort of loser. The crowd was parting quicker now and she felt the first gush of fresh air on her face.

She broke out into the backyard with relief, letting the cool air rush across her. The backyard was surprisingly uncrowded, most partygoers staying inside to escape the unusually chilly October night. She moved across the lurching yard towards a tree, letting herself gratefully slip to the ground against it. She could hear the strains of "Sunny Came Home" playing from the house and could feel the swirling feeling receding.

"Well, well. What do we have here?" The lazy voice belonged to Damon, elegantly dressed with a long masquerade stick with a bushy mustache on the end of it.

She looked up at him, "Who are you supposed to be?"

He squatted down next to her, with a quirked eyebrow. "Wario. As I understand it, my character kidnaps Princess Peach repeatedly in this...game."

"Been there, done that." She said it with a wavering smile, her world still swirling. "Though Wario wears yellow and purple...not black."

He half smiled in acknowledgement, this was as far as he would go. "Why are you out here by yourself?"

"I'm.." What was there to say that didn't make her sound stupid? "being a druid? Why are you here?"

His dark eyes were narrowed, the blush of fresh blood giving a tinge of color to his cheeks. "Don't you mean drooo-id? Lighting candles for the dead?...Or is your date otherwise occupied."

"If you already knew, why did you bother to ask?" The anger was hot in her stomach. Why did he always seem to interfere?

He rolled one shoulder and held out a hand to pull her up, "Honesty is a virtue, redbird."

She rolled her eyes at him, "You never answered why you're here..."

Those black eyes flicked towards the direction of their house then back at her and suddenly she understood. He felt bad about being mean, about being Damon, and this was his way of apologizing. Not in words, but in actions. Damon had changed, but it was a daily struggle for him. He'd caught the train of her thoughts, which meant she was projecting. As she worked on reinforcing her oddly tattered walls he spoke again almost too quiet for her to hear. "I don't know how my brother does it."

Bonnie wasn't sure what to say, Damon's casual cruelty was as much a part of him as Stefan's guilt was a part of him. From what she understood, Damon hadn't been particularly kind even in his human life time. The world was starting to lurch again, but she managed to keep her voice steady. "I know you didn't mean it."

"You forgive far too easily." It was a reprimand, but his voice was more relaxed.

Bonnie shut her eyes against the sudden feeling of spinning, her legs felt like jello. "I don't feel well."

She could feel his hands on her, steadying her, but it seemed impossible to open her eyes to his calls. "Redbird? Bonnie? Are you drunk?"

She managed to get her eyes half open, feeling not only the world lurching but the walls between her and her psychic self thinning. Her words sounded far away to her own ears. "Only two cups of punch..."

He was pulling her then, towards the house and she could hear him shouting for Stefan, but could no longer tell if it was in her mind or out loud. She could hear voices around her, the terrible whispers that preceded a trance. The world started to fade, voices hollering in the gray before a trance.

Everything went black.

…...

Stefan pushed his way outside, all but dragging Elena along. Damon's mental demands were like an ice pick in his brain, impossible to ignore and impossible to handle over the sharp pain of his brother's panic. Damon didn't panic, Damon was so tightly controlled, he never used his own emotions as a tool against others. He certainly didn't lose control enough to stab his frantic worry into Stefan's brain.

Stefan pressed one hand to his temple to still the stabbing pain, pulling a stumbling Elena free from the crowd. He could see them: over by the tree, Bonnie completely limp and Damon's face had become the cold haughty face of their youth. Damon was holding Bonnie up, her blank brown eyes staring past him. "Is she in a trance?"

The furious black eyes snapped to him, "Yes. She said she wasn't feeling well then she collapsed. How much did she have to drink?"

Stefan looked to Elena who shrugged, "We weren't with her, but Bonnie knows her limits."

Bonnie jerked, biting her lip. Blood flowed and Stefan reached out to brush it away automatically, he stared at the blood on his fingertip for a long moment before seeing his finger move towards his mouth against his control. He tasted it and spit. "That's not alcohol."

Elena's eyes were wide, horrified and Stefan didn't know whether it was tasting the blood or his words. He took pains to soften himself, ripping off the fake mustache and letting the vampire recede in his eyes. "I've had Bonnie's blood before and whatever that is...it's more than liquor."

"Do you think she was roofied?" Elena's normally strident voice was hesitant. It was a weighty accusation to make in any situation.

Stefan broke his locked gaze with Damon and nodded slowly. "I don't recognize the taste, but it's definitely chemical."

"They disappear and they can't come home." Bonnie's voice was low, her eyes still staring at nothing.

"Who disappears, Bonnie?" Elena's voice was low.

"The girls." The voice responded as Bonnie's eyes drifted shut. Her face was strikingly pale, almost gray.

"Go get the others. Let them know what's happened." Stefan's voice was a command and Elena took off.

He looked at his brother, clutching Bonnie. He was in some sort of costume."Let's get her away from the party."

Damon obliged, his face pinched with a combination of worry and fury, carrying her towards a tree all the way at the back of the yard. Stefan followed, his voice hesitant. "You promised not to kill anyone this Halloween."

"I didn't promise anything, little brother. I vaguely nodded." He glanced down at the limp form in his arms, whose eyelashes were fluttering. "She needs blood."

Stefan tried to stall him, grabbing for the knife Damon was holding. "We don't know what it will do."

Damon jerked it away, but hesitated. "It burnt out most of the drugs in the eighties."

Stefan pressed on, seeing the backdoor open. "But were any of them psychic? She's already trancing again...she can't stop it."

She was, mumbling incoherently in a foreign language. Meredith and Elena were running across the yard, beat only to the tree by Matt. "What did you do to her?"

"She's been drugged, you fool." Damon snapped it, even as he was losing his hesitation, drawing the knife across his wrist. He pressed the flowing blood against her mouth only to have her turn away, denying the blood.

"What?" Matt echoed back at him, a lack of comprehension in his eyes.

Meredith's face was pale, "Ian? Get her home. Don't do that here!"

Damon was putting the knife away, heeding the scary girl's words. Stefan gave Matt a gentle shake, "She'll be ok."

Matt looked back at him, hell burning in his blue eyes. "I'll take care of this."

He took off for the house at a run, ignoring their calls.

…...

Matt burst into the room, his good buzz from earlier now beating with a purpose. He climbed onto the beer pong table despite the protests, waving at the music to stop. He was dressed as a hero and tonight...tonight he would be one. He waved his sword in the air, "Cut the music."

It took a chain of yells for the dj to respond and Matt threw his voice out. "Listen up! Everyone, listen up."

"QB's got something to say!" It echoed down the football team in a yell of shouts that reached the whole house. He may be a freshman, but he was their quarterback and had earned their respect. The dj had come over and shoved a microphone in his hand.

Matt pulled it up to his face, clearing his throat once to make sure all of the eyes were on him. Glazed, baked and masked, he had their attention. He took a deep breath, flashing back to a terrible winter dance where Bonnie had been at his side, then let his rage flow like hot lava through him. "Listen up. Somebody roofied my roommate."

A murmur went around the room and Matt forged on, "Girls check your friends. She was drinking the punch, guys did anyone see anything?"

The girls were moving towards the kitchen and the football team pressing into the living room. Matt paused, he couldn't speak over the screams of girls looking for their friends anymore than he could talk over the murmur between guys. One of the linebacker's voice rang across the din. "Who was it?"

His blue eyes were ice, watching a few guys slide towards the doors. "Nobody gets in and nobody gets out. We find who did it and we take care of them!" They froze and Matt let his breath escape, finally addressing the question over the lump in his throat. Yells echoed around the football team, the question of who being yelled again. "My...Bonnie. Bonnie McCullough. Tiny redhead, dressed as Princess Peach..."

"Bonnie?" Ian was pushing his way to the front of the crowd, "Where is she?"

Matt eyed him down, no trust in his gaze. "With my roommates...though she came here with you."

Ian looked wildly around as if to find a face that believed him, finally he turned back towards Matt. "Some guy dressed in black told me to back off. Said if I talked to her again he'd break my neck and throw me in a river."

Matt shut his eyes for a second, damning Damon with all his might. The crowd was already taking up the mantle. "Anyone see the guy in black?"

"He was watching her, he looked hungry.." "He was with her in the back yard." "I saw him put something in her drink." The testimonials were echoing throughout the crowd, becoming more fantastical by the second.

Matt's buzz was still going strong, he knew vaguely that he was losing control of the crowd, but he also knew the only way to save this was to try. As much as he disliked Damon, this was the truth. "He's my roommate, he wouldn't touch a hair on Bonnie's head."

The crowd was roiling by now, a few stilling at his endorsement. Others, like Ian bucking against it. "Your roommate? All the more reason, now he can assault her without anyone suspecting him!"

"Fuck you, Ian. How do we know you didn't do it?" It came out fast and quick, no time for Matt to check his own words.

"Search him!" It was one of the linebackers, already grabbing for his teammate. Matt didn't stop them, instead he readjusted his shield, wondering what they would find. A linebacker dressed as Tinkerbell and one as Peter Pan held him still while Matt's best running back, in a sweet Captain Planet costume, searched Ian's pockets. Matt found himself swinging his sword impatiently, not knowing how much he looked like a leader in the moment.

"Empty." Captain Planet called. "Let's go find Salvatore."

The crowd charged for the door, over Matt's yelled protests. He found himself standing on the ping pong table looking at a bunch of girls in the other room. He hopped off, dialing Elena's cell as he charged after the crowd.

…...

"Matt?" Elena answered, "What is it?"

Matt's voice was clipped, undercurrents of anger and something else coloring it. "Put Damon on."

Elena handed the phone to Damon with a puzzled expression and he took it, not relinquishing Bonnie to Stefan. She'd been coming in and out of consciousness, in and out of trances. "What?"

"You've been run out of town before, right?" Matt's voice was high.

"Not in the last hundred years." Damon paused, "Why?"

There was a gulp on the other end of the line. "There may or may not be a mob hunting for you..."

"A witch hunt?" It was a black hiss.

Matt didn't try to deny it as Alaric might have, there was no metaphorically speaking, just the truth. "They think you roofied her. Just ride it out."

"I'm going to kill you." Another hiss, the vampire's anger palatable through the phone lines.

Matt didn't balk, he knew he deserved it. "Keep her safe and I'll try and lead them to the edge of town."

Damon could hear Matt calling to the group, "Follow me! I know where he takes girls..." Then a click.

He snapped the phone shut, crushing it in his hand and turned back to the worried gazes around him. Forcibly relaxing himself he gave them a nonchalant smile, "Mutt has set the rest of his pack on me."

Elena frowned, feeling the color drain from her face. She remembered how quick the crowd was to go after Stefan after was found. She turned to them both. "You have to hide. Be birds, whatever, but you can't let them take you."

The mob could be heard even now, one street over and raging. Damon wasn't folding. "No. Let's just get her home." He took off.

Elena found herself running after him, pausing to rip a slit in her dress. She turned to her right and found Meredith doing the same, "Not again."

Meredith's calm was reassuring as always, "Nobody got hurt last time, nobody will this time."

The mob seemed to be changing direction, the voices moving further away. Alaric jogged to catch up with them, winded. "They're following Matt."

Bonnie's brown eyes opened, for the first time seeming coherent. "What's happening?"

"Are you ok?" Elena pushed herself to run faster, trying to catch Damon and Bonnie in his arms.

"I don't feel good." Her words were still slow and slurred, but her eyes were her own. Damon had slowed his pace, trying not to jostle her. She was so pale, unnaturally gray in the street lights.

**"Should we take her to a hospital?"** Meredith offered it hesitantly, knowing the response. She held up her hand to still the vampire's words. "Where was she before she was with you, Damon?"

Bonnie's eyes had drifted shut again, no answer to illuminate her night. Elena could feel dread rising in her chest at Meredith's words, an almost physical pain at the thought of something having happened to Bonnie. Damon's voice was calm, "I followed them through the haunted house then I had a word with her date. Then I followed her outside."

Meredith's calm hadn't broken and even now she lifted one elegant eyebrow, conveying her amusement. "For once I can be grateful that you are a stalker."

"For once..." Damon began, sharp words meant to lash out that dissipated as Bonnie trembled. "Get the door."

Stefan wrenched the door open and glanced around like a hunted man as Damon took her into the house. He put her down on the couch and wrenched his knife out again, slitting his wrist. This time he held her chin, forcing the blood to flow down her throat as she tried to turn away. They all milled around watching, costumes forgotten.

Alaric was the first to speak, raising a new possibility. "What if it wasn't that boy...what if it was whoever's been taking those girls?"

Damon glanced up, the intensity of his gaze lingering. "What if it wasn't? We take no chances."

Elena stepped between them, running frazzled hands through her hair. "No, Damon. We're better than that, we don't do anything until Bonnie is better."

Those furious black eyes snapped to her, a wave at the world outside. "Think those humans have mercy in mind for me? A fair trail waiting...? Don't be a fool, princess. He dies tonight."

Elena looked helplessly from Meredith's drawn face to Stefan, but Stefan was looking away from her. She tried prompting him, pleading in the two syllables. "Stefan?"

He turned toward them, indecision in his green eyes. He said nothing and the silence was broken by Bonnie half sitting up, leaning over the side of the couch and losing her stomach. Elena turned away with a gag, the bloody mess too much for her to stomach. She fled the room for the kitchen, trying to block out the sounds of Bonnie's retching. Still even over the nauseating sounds, she could hear Meredith making a few valid points. "Why don't we search his apartment before we do anything? It makes sense if he had one drug he'd have more..."

Alaric's voice was adding weight to her argument, "You're right and I have a police uniform in my car."

"Why?" Elena asked over the thoughtful eyes, shoving a trash can and bleach at Stefan.

He looked startled at their reactions, "It is Halloween. It was a backup in case Yoshi wasn't what I was expecting when I rented it."

"I'll go with Meredith and Alaric, you two stay here." Stefan said, though Damon wasn't likely to leave the girl on the couch in any event.

"You two should change," Elena said softly, her heart clenching at the thought this mob might get Stefan by mistake. "Actually, Stefan you should just fly. You don't need to be seen..."

They nodded and disappeared upstairs. Bonnie sat up a few moments later, rubbing her face. "Water."

She drank a few sips, turning confused brown eyes to relieved blue and angry black. "What happened?"

"You were roofied." Elena said gently, going to sit next to her, cutting off Damon's angry snap. "Do you remember who made your second drink?"

Lips puckered, "Matt gave us punch and Ian...he got me a refill from the haunted house punch."

Elena looked at Damon, seeing flashing black. Her words were slow, "Was their punch in there? I didn't see any..."

"Call Mutt if you don't want me to kill him this instant." The anger was barely restrained, "I was a room behind them."

"Behind who?" Bonnie asked as Elena whipped her phone out. Black eyes gave her, her answer, the intensity never waving.

It took Matt five agonizing rings to answer, his voice surrounded by others as he yelled down the line. "She ok?"

"Yeah, listen was there a punch bowl in the haunted house?-"

"Hold on, I can't hear you." He covered the receiver, but Elena could still very clearly hear his yell of "SHUT UP, I'M TALKING TO HER." Silence echoed, Matt's voice coming back, "Ok, go on."

"Was there a punch bowl in the haunted house? Bonnie says Ian got her second cup in there." Her words were quick, tension filled.

"There shouldn't have been," his hand covered the receiver again, yelling outwards. Elena bit her nails waiting for the answer to come back, eventually it did. Matt's voice was so angry it almost sounded like Damon, "I'm going to kill him."

"Matt-" Elena tried, but he was already hanging up, his voice thrown out and the sound of running, "Come back here you bastard."

Elena turned frantic blue eyes back to Bonnie and Damon, her voice rising so that Alaric and Stefan could hear her upstairs. "We've got to get to Matt before he does something stupid."

Damon said nothing, his black eyes impassive, for once siding with Matt. Elena's voice rose an octave in response, "He'll end up in jail!"

Stefan and Alaric both appeared at the top of the stairway, colliding in their haste, Stefan automatically steadying Alaric. He flew down the stairs, his oak green eyes serious. "I'll go get Matt, the two of you go to the apartment."

Alaric didn't even have time to agree before the bird was flying out the window. He came down the stairs, waiting for Meredith in the tensely quiet room. Bonnie leaned her head against Damon, shutting her eyes, a soft muttering coming from her. Elena slowly turned to watch Bonnie, her lips were puckered and small beads of sweat began forming on her forehead. "Bonnie?"

Her eyes didn't open, but her grainy voice was annoyed, "It's ringing, but Matt won't pick up!"

Elena shot alarmed eyes over to Alaric, who seemed just as puzzled, then to Damon. She caught the perplexed look leaving Damon's face, one of his slim hands smoothing Bonnie's hair off her forehead. "He can't hear you that way, redbird. Mutt's a psychic dud."

One brown eye popped open, then the other, her sheepishness giving the first blush of color to her grey cheeks. "I thought I was using the phone."

"Bonnie?" Meredith asked, flying down the stairs, clutching something. She stilled her frantic pace right in front of the redhead, shoving the bottle of pills under Bonnie's nose. "Did you take one of these today?"

Bonnie peered at them, at the muscle relaxer prescription with her name on it, thinking for a long moment. "Half of one. I twisted my back at the hospital on my shift, Dr. Sanchez said I shouldn't take a full one until I knew how I would react..."

Meredith's glower lightened into relief, "I guess we know how you react."

Elena was not as relieved, her exhale 80% annoyance, 20% frustration. "Oh, Bonnie."

Elena's phone was already out, her sharp blue eyes turning to Damon. "Tell your brother, I'm going to try and get ahold of Matt and see if we can prevent his mob from doing any damage."

Meredith gave Bonnie's hand one last squeeze, "We'll go pick Matt up."

…...

Matt looked around at his motley mob milling around, it had rapidly dwindled the farther they got from the party and even more had disappeared when Ian had somehow managed to slip away. Those that were left were on the brink of change, one wrong comment or one sighting of Ian and Matt would not only lose his temper, but control of the crowd. He ran one frustrated hand through his newly shaggy hair and gave an angry grunt, "How did he get away? I don't understand."

"No idea," Stefan's soft voice came from Matt's left, causing him to jump. Stefan's oak green eyes were serious, "It's good he did though...He didn't roofie Bonnie, Matt."

"But-" Matt started and Stefan held up his hand in protest, causing Matt to shut his mouth.

Ralph hushed the group, everyone turning to Stefan. Stefan shifted his weight uncomfortably under the attention of the crowd, but cleared his throat and spoke a little louder. "Turns out Bonnie hurt her back and took half a muscle relaxer earlier, she shouldn't have drank on it."

"Oh, Bonnie!" Matt sighed in relief, almost a giddy fondness for her ditzy ways.

"So..." Ralph clarified, scratching his large head, "You're saying she roofied herself? On accident..."

Stefan's mouth quirked up to the side in a way very similar to Damon's. "I suppose I am."

Matt shot him a smile, looked back at the crowd and decided the only thing left to do was finish out Halloween the way he'd started this mob. He held up his shield and thrust his sword into the air, "Victory is ours! Back to the party!"

There were cheers and then the few members of his team were rushing by him, back down the streets they'd come. Matt's arm was held still by Stefan, and he waited. Stefan's smile had faded and Matt could feel the disappointment coming off of him, but also the worry. Stefan didn't give him the lecture he was expecting, nor the thrashing he deserved for going out and riling a mob. Instead he gave only a warning. "Don't come home tonight, Matt. It's not safe."

"But I want to see Bonnie, make sure she's really ok..." Matt protested, swinging his sword.

"But you really don't want to see Damon after you set a mob after him, Matt."

"I'm not going to let him ruin my Halloween." Matt turned away and staggered. He began to jog after his team, after his other Dalcrest family.

Then the black voice came in his mind, dark and very, very mad. _I won't ruin your little costume holiday, Mutt, but on the day you Americans are supposed to be most thankful I'll leave you in tears._

Damn. Matt was really looking forward to Thanksgiving.


End file.
